Many households and businesses use satellite dishes to receive a television signal, with a growing number of households using the next generation satellite dishes, for receiving a high-definition television signal being defined as a HDTV satellite dish. A prior generation satellite dish being defined as a non-high definition television is termed a TV satellite dish that typically has one horn which receives a signal being reflected off a round or symmetrical parabolic dish signal reflector. Whereas, the HDTV dish signal reflector can have different configurations, for example, the HDTV satellite dish can have three horns in three different positions for receiving multiple signals being reflected off a non-symmetrical dish signal reflector, as opposed to the prior generation satellite TV symmetric dish signal reflector that out of necessity must focus the reflected dish signal to a concentrated zone for typically a single receiver in the horn to collect the signal. The HDTV non-symmetrical dish allows for multiple focus areas of the reflected dish signal for collection by multiple horns, typically being three horns as previously described. The usual position for the satellite dish is normally in an outside environment on the roof or side of a building oriented toward an applicable satellite that is normally having a southward orientation (from the northern hemisphere) as most satellites are in geosynchronous orbit (fixed over a single position on the earth) adjacent to the earth's equator for the dish to receive a direct satellite signal.
A common drawback with outdoor satellite dishes is that the weather or other normal environmental conditions can interrupt, distort, or disable the desired signal reflection from the dish surface that is desirably free from any impediment upon a smooth, clean, and dry reflecting surface of the dish. A further environmental issue is in sunny climates having to do with the problem of sun rays reflecting from the dish surface and concentrating upon the horn potentially causing solar overheating and possible heat damage to the horn components, in addition to thermal distortion of the dish that can make signal reflection non-optimum. Due to the location, the angle, and the shape of the satellite dish, various weather or environmental conditions can accumulate on the dish reflector side, which unfortunately due to its concave nature tends to coalesce and retain undesirable articles such as snow, ice, freezing rain, leaves, dirt/mud buildup, animal excrement, and the like, and therefore disrupting the signal by taking away from the ideal of the previously desirable smooth, clean and dry reflecting surface of the dish. When this happens, the satellite dish user has to usually climb to the location of the dish, clean the debris off the reflecting surface of the dish, and then climb back down; not only is this burdening, it is also dangerous, especially in inclement weather conditions.
It is well recognized in the prior art, especially in the area of symmetric satellite dishes the aforementioned primary problem of debris collection as against the concave surface of the satellite signal reflector dish surface, with a number of solutions being put forth. The primary and most popular solution is with a flexible cover that allows satellite signals through, however, in effect keeping the concave portion of the satellite reflector dish covered and dry from various environmental conditions as previously described and further diffusing the sun rays to not concentrate upon the horn, wherein the cover is stretched across the outer edges of the rim or dish periphery forming a drum skin type expanse of flexible material that spans across the concave portion of the satellite dish, that can further add beneficial structural strength to the dish. Outside of the previously described primary solution it is also recognized that heaters, blowers, or a fluid scrubber could all be built into the dish to help automatically keep the concave surface dry, smooth, and clean, however, these solutions have been generally disfavored due to their added complication, potential interference with satellite signals, and consumption of additional energy. Further, it is also known that especially in the case of the flexible satellite dish cover, it must be securely fastened and stretched tight relative to the dish to withstand the effects of wind, snow weight, and the like.
Looking to the prior art in this area starting with the satellite dish flexible covers that are for a symmetrical shaped concave shaped dish that typically has a round outer periphery, wherein the cover is stretched across the concave portion of the dish with the cover secured to the round outer periphery of the dish in some manner. Starting with U.S. Pat. No. 5,940,047 to Pfnister, disclosed is a satellite antenna cover for the dish, arm, and horn that is mounted to the arm. The dish cover in Pfnister is separate from the arm cover and the horn cover, thus allowing the separate dish cover to form a drum skin like (flat) cover. Furthermore, in Pfnister the dish cover securing means includes a strap having a first end secured to the dish cover and a second free end with the means further including a ring to secure to the dish cover and the second end of the strap that is insertable through the ring and releasably connected to the first end of the strap to releasably secure the strap to the ring. The arm cover securing means in Pfnister includes a hook and loop fastener mechanism and the arm cover is secured to the horn cover by stitching the arm cover to the horn cover by threads with the horn cover is constructed from a transparent material, column 2, lines 8-26. Pfnister claims to have the benefit of having three close fitting pieces, namely the dish cover, the arm enclosure cover, and the horn glove cover that allows for a close fit on these three pieces, thus facilitating protection of the arm and horn without a bulky “tent” type single piece cover for all three pieces. Pfnister, however, only teaches use of the dish cover with a round periphery dish by having to have the cover conform closely to the dish, see column 4, lines 11-15.
Continuing, in the dish flexible cover prior art, looking at U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,253 to Franklin disclosed is a “tent” type satellite dish utility cover formed of moderately stretchable polyester fabric wherein a single piece of fabric covers the dish, the arm, and the horn, with the cover having a peripheral hem through which is threaded a cord having its two ends extended through an opening in the hem and connected to a manually operated tightening and locking mechanism for drawing the cord taut and maintaining the cord taut to capture the edges of a satellite dish and secure the cover thereon. This patent, being the Franklin '253 is a continuation in part of the Franklin '972 (described below) by having the added feature of the tent type cover over the dish, arm, and horn all together. The cover in Franklin '253 is placed on a satellite antenna dish with the edges of the cover overlapping the edges of the dish and the cord is drawn taut or tight and secured, thereby firmly attaching the cover of the face of the antenna dish, so that the dish, arm, and receiver horn is protected from precipitation and wind-blown matter by the cover, column 2, lines 36-55. While Franklin '253 has the beneficial feature of the one-piece cover for the dish, arm, and horn, it also has the drawback of having more surface area that is exposed to wind force and snow weight that can add considerable stress to the dish, arm, and horn assembly, and especially to the arm and horn, which are not necessarily designed to withstand the added load from the tent type cover, potentially resulting in failure of the arm and/or horn.
Moving ahead in the prior, art in U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,125 to Kelly et al. disclosed is a satellite dish cover that is similar to Franklin '253 in that a sheet of material constructed and arranged for being disposed over the dish, arm, and feeder horn comprising again a tent like structural shape for the cover, having the previously mentioned disadvantages of Franklin '253. In Kelly et al., the cover's primary body panel wraps around the dish, arm, and feeder horn and a secondary body panel extends from the dish to the support of the satellite dish assembly. Velcro or hook and loop fasteners are used in Kelly et al., to affix the end portion for cinching the primary body panel about the satellite dish assembly. The dish cover in Kelly et al., accommodates satellite dishes of varying shapes and sizes, as it is basically loosely draped over the entire dish, arm, and horn assembly being somewhat retained by hook and loop fasteners, is electromagnetically transparent so that digital signals can be received, and is fabricated from rugged, durable material that is lightweight and resistant to sunlight, ozone, temperature extremes, wind, rain, and snow, column 1, lines 66-67 and column 2, lines 1-14 and 35-48. However, Kelly et al., as in Franklin '253 will have potential problems with the snow and wind loading on the tent like cover as against the dish, arm, and horn assembly which are not necessarily designed to withstand the additional loads as imposed by the tent type cover.
Further, in the satellite dish cover prior art area in U.S. Pat. No. 5,451,972 to Franklin disclosed is a satellite antenna dish cover comprising a circular sheet of suitable fabric material having a central opening to accommodate a conventional antenna receiver and feed unit. Note that Franklin '972 is the parent to Franklin '253, previously discussed. The circular sheet in Franklin '972 is provided with a hem around its periphery which encloses a heavy drawstring or draw-cord. The stretchability and flexibility of the material in Franklin '972 may be placed over the face of the antenna dish with the antenna feed passing through the opening in the center of the cover and with the periphery of the cover extending beyond the edges of the antenna dish preliminarily to pulling the draw-cord tight and causing the draw-cord and hem of the cover to capture the edge of the dish to firmly secure the cover, column 1, lines 16-29. Although Franklin '972 does not have the attendant problems previously discussed in the tent type cover, it is limited to a symmetrically round dish outer periphery due to the constant pulling action of the draw-cord to secure the cover to the dish.
Continuing, in the satellite dish cover prior art in U.S. Pat. No. 5,798,735 to Walton Jr. disclosed is a hot air de-icing system for a satellite antenna with a cover, with the cover being configured to accommodate the front opening of the antenna, and a heating system that is set up to heat the cover so that the cover is maintained at a temperature which reduces the accumulation of ice and snow upon the cover. Thus, Walton, Jr. while being a conventional one piece drum skin type dish cover further identifies the problem of ice and snow buildup upon the cover itself, wherein the heating system is preferably mounted on the back side of the antenna and provides heated air to the space between the concave reflecting surface of the antenna or dish and the outside cover so as to maintain the cover at a temperature above freezing. The closed-loop heating system in Walton, Jr. includes a blower which blows heated air into the space between the antenna and the cover via an intake tube, and an exhaust tube that collects air from the space between the antenna and the cover and provides it to the heater, to prevent the accumulation of wet snow, freezing fog, or freezing rain on the outside cover of the antenna, column 2, lines 10-16, 21-30, and 53-55. Walton, Jr. teaches using a spring cable and turnbuckle type assembly for retaining the cover to the dish periphery being similar to Franklin '253 and '972 that relies upon a symmetrically round dish periphery to draw the cover tight in a drum skin like fashion across the concave portion of the dish, wherein a non-symmetrical dish periphery would not allow this draw-cord pulling tension system to work properly in stretching the cover across the concave portion of the dish. Another prior art example for a symmetric dish cover is in U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,241 to Ergen et al. that discloses a cover having a rigid “J” clip positioned on the outside periphery of the cover that removably engages the margin outer rim of the satellite dish with the added feature of cover adjustability for stretching the spanned drum skin segment of the cover over the concave portion of the dish. Ergen et al., also requires that the dish have a symmetric outer periphery for proper stretching of the cover to occur during installation of the cover by needing even dish periphery attachment tension from a plurality of “J” strips, see column 7, lines 56-67.
What is needed is a satellite dish cover that can accommodate non-symmetrical dish shapes especially related to a non-symmetric outer periphery, wherein the disclosed prior art substantially relies upon a symmetric outer periphery for the dish to typically enable a single tensioning element to evenly pull the cover over the symmetric outer periphery to desirably tension the cover for a drum skin like span over the concave portion of the dish. This stretching is important for the cover over the concave portion of the dish for a number of reasons, firstly to help deflect the snow and freezing rain from the cover itself, because if the cover was not stretched tight the snow and freezing rain could more easily accumulate. Furthermore, if the cover is sagging it may undesirably reflect solar rays onto the horn potentially causing horn component damage, also if the cover is loose; it will not add any structural strength to the dish as opposed to if the cover were tightly stretched over the concave portion of the dish. However, getting the cover to tightly stretch over the concave portion of the non-symmetrical dish with the non-symmetrical outer periphery practically eliminates the use of a single tensioning element, that if used in the conventional manner would result in uneven stretching of the cover over the concave portion of the dish due to the larger outer periphery areas being stretched more that the smaller outer periphery areas of the non-symmetric dish resulting in an undesirable sagging dish cover for the reasons previously given.
Thus, for a new satellite dish cover to desirably stretch in a taut manner spanning across the concave portion of an non-symmetric dish, as currently used by HDTV, would require a plurality of tensioning elements that are positioned to cause an even stretching of the cover over a non-even outer periphery creating a highly segmented cover tensioning element structure.